Head of Philanthropy

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• Help shape the future of philanthropy in healthcare
• Permanent, full time opportunity
• Heidelberg location, with multiple public transport options available to Austin Hospital

Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives. 

About the Austin Health Foundation

Fundraising is a vital activity for Victorian health services, providing essential revenue beyond government funding. At Austin Health, the Austin Health Foundation is our dedicated fundraising and volunteer engagement arm, and leads all fundraising efforts, including donations, sponsorships, capital campaigns, and grant applications. Fundraising supports medical equipment, research, education, and patient care initiatives, working in partnership with clinical, research and executive leaders across Austin Health.

About the role 

We are seeking an experienced philanthropy leader to develop and implement initiatives to support the acquisition, retention and development of high-value and multi-year donor relationships, developing a sustainable funding pipeline and delivering significant growth in philanthropic income.

Leading the philanthropy team, this role will oversee strategy and implementation for the major gifts, grants and gift in Will portfolios, building a program of activities to attract new high-value donors, and steward and solicit gifts from current supporters.

This role includes regular engagement with the Executive and Board, and will help to shape how philanthropy and volunteering contribute to Austin Health’s future as a leading health provider.

A regular day will see you:   

• Form part of the Foundation’s leadership team, developing future strategic direction and plans
• Work closely with leaders across the organisation, advocating for a culture of philanthropy while identifying appropriate funding opportunities
• Identify and develop a strong pipeline of prospective donors and manage engagement plans to grow philanthropic income to support Austin Health’s work into the future

• Develop persuasive cases for support, translating complex information into compelling proposals targeted to donor interests

• Oversee the development, implementation and significant growth of the gift in Wills and philanthropic grant programs
• Oversee the management of high-level relationships between key stakeholders and the Board, CEO, Executive and Foundation Director

About you 

You will be someone who has excellent communication skills, with a strong commitment to excellence and teamwork. You’ll bring energy and drive to your work and have a keen interest in developing your skillset.

To be successful in this role you’ll bring with you:

• Proven experience in driving growth in philanthropic income, with a focus on high-value donors and multi-year gifts
• Experience in growing philanthropic grants and gift in Will portfolios
• Strong financial and business planning acumen, with budget oversight experience
• Outstanding stakeholder engagement, influencing and relationship-building skills
• Exceptional leadership capability, able to inspire and develop high-performing teams

Our benefits 

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including: 

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging, for living expenses, meals, and holiday accommodation. 
• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounted fitness memberships and special offers on health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program. 
• Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options. 
• Mentoring and career development opportunities. 

Work with us! 

We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures. 

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your passion, your drive and your willingness to learn and contribute. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date. 

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Heidi Reid, Director Foundation at Heidi.Reid@austin.org.au

Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details. 

Application closing date: Tuesday 17 February 2026